Parameter Lists Rubocop

Rubocop is a Ruby static code analyzer. Rubocop utilizes a number of style rules, which it calls “Cops”, hence the name.

I picked a cop at random, and wanted to see what it looks for in my Ruby code. So let’s take a look at Parameter Lists

[code]
cd ~/workspace/davinci_coders_t1_2015/practice
mkdir parameter_list_rubocop
cd parameter_list_rubocop
echo ‘2.1.5’ > .ruby-version
echo ‘davinci_coders’ > .ruby-gemset
cd .
[/code]

Here I’m going into my practice directory and making a new one. I then setup the directory to have RVM load Ruby 2.1.5 and the davinci_coders gemset. Next I need to add the guard-rubocop gem.

[code]
# Gemfile
source ‘https://rubygems.org’

gem ‘guard-rubocop’
[/code]

Next we need to bundle in order to install these gems. Then we’ll initialize guard.

[code]
bundle
guard init
[/code]

Now we need to tell Guard to ignore the Guardfile.

[code]
# .rubocop.yml
AllCops:
Exclude:
– ‘Guardfile’
[/code]

We’ll fire up Guard, and we get no offenses. Let’s add a Ruby file called program_1.rb.

[code]
#!/usr/bin/env ruby

# I’m looking at https://github.com/bbatsov/rubocop/blob/master/lib/rubocop/cop/metrics/parameter_lists.rb

def foo(param1)
puts param1
end

def foo2(param1, param2)
puts param1, param2
end

def foo3(param1, param2, param3)
puts param1, param2, param3
end

def foo4(param1, param2, param3, param4)
puts param1, param2, param3, param4
end

def foo5(param1, param2, param3, param4, param5)
puts param1, param2, param3, param4, param5
end

def foo6(param1, param2, param3, param4, param5, param6)
puts param1, param2, param3, param4, param5, param6
end

def foo7(param1, param2, param3, param4, param5, param6, param7)
puts param1, param2, param3, param4, param5, param6, param7
end

def foo8(param1, param2, param3, param4, param5, param6, param7, param8)
puts param1, param2, param3, param4, param5, param6, param7, param8
end
[/code]

Now our guard gives us three offenses:

So it looks like Rubocop will complain if your method has more than 5 parameters. Looks like this preference comes from the Ruby Style Guide.

I’ll have to remember to have 4 or less parameters for any methods I create in the future.

Although, I could configure Rubocop to allow me up to 7 parameters:

[code]
# .rubocop.yml
Metrics/ParameterLists:
Max: 7
[/code]

No, that’s probably a bad idea. Nevermind.